It’s time to talk about maternal mental health
Motherhood changes everything and not just in the joyful, Instagrammable ways. Behind the baby photos and birth announcements, millions of women struggle silently with maternal mental health challenges that go undiagnosed, untreated, or simply ignored. And the worst part? Most don’t talk about it.
That silence is dangerous.
The mental load of motherhood is heavy and often Invisible
Let’s be clear: maternal mental health isn’t just postpartum depression. It’s a broad spectrum of emotional and psychological challenges that can hit before, during, or after pregnancy.
Here are some key facts:
- 1 in 5 women experience a mental health condition during pregnancy or in the year after birth. 1
- 75% of those women never receive treatment. 2
- Suicide is a leading cause of maternal death in many high-income countries. 3
- Women of color are even less likely to get diagnosed or treated due to systemic disparities. 4
Common maternal mental health conditions include: 5
- Perinatal depression: sadness, emptiness, guilt, lack of interest in the baby or life
- Perinatal anxiety: constant worry, racing thoughts, sleep disturbance, panic attacks
- Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: intrusive thoughts, often terrifying and irrational, about harm coming to the baby
- Postpartum Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: flashbacks or nightmares often stemming from a traumatic birth
- Postpartum Psychosis (rare but serious): hallucinations, paranoia, confusion
And here’s the thing: many moms don’t even know what they are feeling is treatable. They think they are just “not coping” or “bad at this.”
That’s where tech can help.
Meet the start-ups putting mental health on the maternal map
At the intersection of motherhood and innovation, Tech4Eva is backing start-ups that are building smart, empathetic, and life-changing solutions for moms around the world. These five standouts are pushing maternal mental health forward in real, measurable ways.
Haplo Care (formerly Haplomind) (Switzerland)
Mental health needs to be monitored like any other vital sign in pregnancy and postpartum and Haplo Care gets that. Their app screens for depression and anxiety, connects women to support, and lets healthcare providers track progress remotely using voice AI. This dual-facing platform bridges the gap between moms and their doctors, so no one slips through the cracks.
Preglife (Sweden)
Preglife is more than just a pregnancy tracker. It’s evolving into a personalized digital health guide: tailoring insights, content, and support based on each woman’s mood, symptoms, and medical history. From the first trimester to toddlerhood, Preglife is building a smart safety net for maternal well-being.
Dana (Spain)
Motherhood is a major mental and emotional transition but traditional care systems often miss it. Dana is tackling this head-on with a certified digital therapeutics platform designed to treat the often overlooked mental health challenges of new moms. It’s not just wellness—it’s medical-grade support, delivered with empathy.
Malaica (Kenya)
Access is everything, and for many African women, it's still limited. Malaica is changing that with a remote pregnancy program that connects moms to a dedicated midwife, peer community, and education, all online. From personalized health coaching to navigating care systems, Malaica is proving that maternal mental health support can—and should—be scalable and inclusive.
Vital Start Health (USA)
Vital Start Health is using Virtual and Augmented Reality to transform maternal mental health care. Their platform offers clinically guided support across pre-conception, birth, and postpartum, empowering moms and providers to prevent and treat Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) more effectively. It delivers personalized, immersive care in clinics, workplaces, and at home, making mental health support faster, more equitable, and tech-driven.
Why this matters
Maternal mental health isn’t a niche issue: it’s a foundation for family health, child development, and community wellbeing. Yet too often, moms are left to manage overwhelming mental health challenges alone.
The start-ups listed above are proving that with smart innovation and real empathy, we can build systems that work for mothers and not against them. From personalized care to accessible platforms, they're closing critical gaps that healthcare systems have ignored for too long.
This Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, the message is simple: support mothers, support the future. It's time we stop treating maternal mental health as an afterthought - and start making it a priority, every day.
Sources:
1. World Health Organization (WHO)
Maternal mental health, March 14, 2023
2. Maternal Mental Health Alliance (UK)
Why Perinatal Mental Health Matters
3. MBRRACE-UK (Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries)
4. National Partnership for Women & Families
Black Women’s Maternal Health: A Multifaceted Crisis
5. Postpartum Support International (PSI)